Construction Panel

ABSTRACT

A construction panel includes at least one honeycomb core which is laminated on both flat sides, the honeycomb core consisting of a thermoplastic and the construction panel itself being stress-free owing to stresses running in opposite directions in the laminations.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a U.S. national stage of application No. PCT/DE2013/000231, filed on 30 Apr. 2013, which claims priority to the German Application No. 10 2012 005 289.6, filed 30 May 2012, the content of both incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a construction panel having at least one honeycomb core, which is laminated on both flat sides.

2. Related Art

Such construction panels are known and established in a variety of embodiments. Different coatings, for example consisting of woven glass fiber, cement, paper, plastic film or the like, depending on the purpose, are usually applied to a core consisting of a foamed plastic, generally an extrudate.

In addition to the limited dimensions of such construction panels, the recycling thereof is problematic owing to the different materials, and the weight is burdensome for the tradesperson. In particular, the high dead weight can result in deformation of the construction panel, which makes processing more difficult.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Against this technical background, an object of the invention is to provide a construction panel, in particular for wet rooms, which has a high compressive strength and a low weight and in principle allows a multiplicity of possibilities for use. According to one aspect of the invention, this construction panel should in addition ensure an even substrate, for example for tiles adhesively bonded thereto.

In accordance with one aspect, this technical problem is solved in a construction panel having at least one honeycomb core, which is laminated on both flat sides, by the measures that the honeycomb core consists of a thermoplastic and that the construction panel is itself stress-free owing to stresses running in opposite directions in the laminations.

Thermoplastics have a number of advantages over conventional foamed plastics, for example in terms of shape cutting. Furthermore, they are dimensionally stable over wide temperature ranges, it being possible nevertheless to keep the weight of the core low owing to the honeycomb structure.

This is the case in particular if the honeycomb core is formed by a deformed film and/or by tubes connected to each other.

In another aspect, the weight of the honeycomb core can preferably be set to between 60 kg/m³ and 120 kg/m³ and the properties of the honeycomb core can therefore be influenced within wide ranges.

According to one aspect, this can also be done by the honeycombs being filled. The functionality of the construction panel according to the invention can thus be varied within wide ranges. In particular, filling with a mineral foam or granulate is conceivable, preferably a thermally insulating glass foam or glass foam granulate.

Alternatively, fire-retardant or fire-extinguishing powder fillings of the honeycomb can increase fire protection by the construction panel according to the invention. In additional to many other fillings and functionalities resulting therefrom, moisture-regulating and odor-absorbing materials should also be mentioned as the powder or granulate filling.

Such honeycomb cores can be produced comparatively simply and therefore cost-effectively with a material thickness between 3 mm and 30 mm. Greater material thicknesses can be achieved by several layers of honeycomb cores of thinner material.

In a design of the construction panel according to one aspect of the invention, at least one flat side has a lamination consisting of an outer nonwoven and a film lying underneath.

Nonwovens are suitable as the adherent surface for adhesives or mortars for example for tiling to be applied. The nonwoven should then consist of a material that is resistant to alkaline adhesives and mortars and to surfactants in detergents. Polypropylene nonwovens are ideally suited to this.

The film largely determines the physical properties of the construction panel according to the invention in terms of the diffusion of water vapor and the flow of indoor air. If a metal foil is used, for example consisting of an aluminum, the construction panel blocks vapor. However, the use of a polypropylene film is in particular conceivable, which can be both permeable to vapor, for example filled with chalk and then drawn out and/or stretched, or in other configurations can inhibit or block vapor.

Alternatively, a covering layer consisting of a duroplast is also conceivable, by which the honeycomb core is likewise provided with a skin. Such a construction panel then also blocks vapor and wind.

It can optionally be provided, in accordance with another aspect, for an intermediate layer, such as a further nonwoven or a looped or knitted fabric, to be arranged between the honeycomb core of the lamination. This can be advantageous for the stability of the construction panel. Expediently, an intermediate layer consisting of a polypropylene is again provided here in order to construct the construction panel solely from polypropylene, which makes recycling much easier.

Alternatively, other materials are also suitable for this layer, in particular plastics, but also organic or mineral fibres such as carbon, paper or glass, since this intermediate layer cannot come into contact with alkaline media or surfactants.

The low weight of the construction panel according to the invention, suitable depending on the embodiment as a carrier panel for tiling in wet rooms, as an extension panel for such rooms or else as an extension panel for interiors with an integrated vapor retarder and wind barrier, furthermore with sealing of the cut edges as thermal and/or sound insulation, allows dimensions of more than 60 cm×200 cm, in particular a standard width dimension of 1.20 m and lengths of more than 6 m compared to conventional panels having a width of 60 cm.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The structure of the construction panel according to the invention is explained in more detail using the drawing, the single FIG. 1 of which shows a section through a construction panel according to the invention, schematically and not to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The construction panel 1 shown in FIG. 1 is basically constructed symmetrically to a center plane 2. At least one inner honeycomb core 3 is provided with a two-layered lamination 4. Optionally, a further nonwoven or woven or knitted fabric can be provided as an intermediate layer 5 between the lamination 4 and the core 3.

The honeycomb core 3 preferably consists of a deformed, folded PP film or of PP tubes having a weight of 60 kg/m³ to 120 kg/m³. Assuming a typical material thickness of 3 mm to 30 mm, constructional panels of comparatively greater material thickness can also be created by several layers of such honeycomb cores 3.

Depending on the intended use, the honeycombs can also be filled, in particular with foams, powders or granules that fulfil the intended use.

Where necessary adhesively bonded to the honeycomb core 3, the lamination 4 consists of a nonwoven 6 on the outside with a film 7 underneath. In the case of a use as a carrier panel for tiles, the nonwoven 6 will be a polypropylene nonwoven, since this material is resistant to alkaline adhesives or mortars and furthermore also to surfactants in detergents.

The film 7 largely determines the functionality of the construction panel 1. The construction panel 1 is made to block vapour and wind by a metal foil, for example consisting of an aluminum. A vapor-retarding or vapor-permeable configuration is likewise possible if suitably formed PP films are used.

In an alternative configuration of the lamination 4, an application of a duroplast is provided under the nonwoven 6 instead of the film, with which the construction panel 1 likewise forms a vapor barrier and wind barrier.

Optionally, another intermediate layer 5 such as a nonwoven or a looped or knitted fabric can be arranged between the lamination 4 and the honeycomb core 3. Since this intermediate layer 5 generally hardly comes into contact with alkaline materials or surfactants of detergents at all, organic and/or mineral fibers can be used in addition to plastics such as preferably polypropylene as the intermediate layer 5.

Construction panels 1 according to the invention can have dimensions of preferably 1.20 m in width to over 6 m in length. If the construction panels are in particular fabricated entirely of polypropylene, segregated recycling is furthermore possible.

The structure is basically symmetrical to the center plane 2, from the outside inwards nonwoven, film or duroplast and optionally intermediate layer, it being possible however for the functionality and materials to differ on each side of the centre plane 2.

Thus, while there have been shown and described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and/or method steps which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention. Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements and/or method steps shown and/or described in connection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto. 

1-11. (canceled)
 12. A construction panel (1) comprising: at least one honeycomb core (3), having two flat sides and consisting of a thermoplastic; and multi-layered laminations (4), arranged on each flat side of the honeycomb core (3), the multi-layered laminations (4) configured such that stresses within the multi-layered laminations (4) run in opposite directions, the construction panel (1) being substantially stress-free due to the stresses running in opposite directions in the laminations (4).
 13. The construction panel according to claim 12, wherein the honeycomb core (3) comprises a deformed film and/or tubes connected to each other.
 14. The construction panel according to claim 12, wherein the weight of the honeycomb core (3) is between 60 kg/m³ and 120 kg/m³.
 15. The construction panel according to claim 12, wherein honeycombs forming the honeycomb core (3) are filled.
 16. The construction panel according to claim 12, further comprising a plurality of layers of honeycomb cores.
 17. The construction panel according to claim 12, wherein the multi-layered laminations (4) at at least one flat side of the honeycomb core (3) consist of an outer nonwoven layer (6) and an inner film (7).
 18. The construction panel according to claim 12, wherein the multi-layered laminations (4) at at least one flat side of the honeycomb core (3) consist of an outer nonwoven layer and a duroplast inner layer.
 19. The construction panel according to claim 12, further comprising an intermediate layer (5) comprising a nonwoven or a looped or knitted fabric arranged between the honeycomb core (3) and the multi-layered laminations (4).
 20. The construction panel according to claim 17, further comprising an intermediate layer (5) comprising a plastic or organic and/or mineral fibers.
 21. The construction panel according to claim 12, wherein the construction panel has flat-side dimensions of more than 60 cm×200 cm.
 22. The construction panel according to claim 12, wherein the construction panel consists solely of polypropylene (PP). 